Six NJC students recognized for excellence, leadership in Sterling

Six Northeastern Junior College students are emerging as part of Logan County’s next talent pipeline, with Alan Acevado Dagda and Reina Roberts among those recognized for academic performance and leadership in Sterling.

The honors came through the Colorado Community College System’s Student Excellence Awards, which celebrate academic achievement, leadership and community impact. At a campus like NJC, those recognitions carry local weight: they point to students who may stay in the area, transfer on to four-year schools, or return to fill roles in local businesses, civic organizations, classrooms and other community institutions.

Dagda offers one clear example of the kind of student NJC is developing. His athletics profile lists him as a business major from Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, and says he chose NJC to further both his education and basketball career. The same profile lists a 3.9 college GPA and Honor Roll status, a combination that fits the Rising Star recognition and reflects the college’s emphasis on both performance and leadership.

Roberts was also named among the Rising Star honorees, placing her in a category reserved for students who stand out before they reach graduation. NJC’s Honors Program is designed for students with exceptional leadership and academic abilities, and the college’s scholastic honors policy sets a 3.5 cumulative GPA benchmark for associate-degree students seeking graduation honors in coursework completed at the institution.

For Sterling and the wider county, that matters because NJC is more than a place where classes are taken. It is a training ground for the people who can later show up in local workplaces, volunteer networks and public life. Recognition like this also reinforces the college’s retention and scholarship efforts, while signaling to prospective students that academic success and service are being noticed. The pattern has continued with Brennen Welsh named a 2026 New Century Workforce Scholar, another national honor based on academic accomplishments, leadership and activities beyond the classroom.